Main menu
Staff & students
In this section

Course information

Length

1 year full-time

Department

Art
Centre for Academic Language and Literacies

Course overview

Goldsmiths' operating principles for 2022-23 have not yet been finalised but should changes be required to teaching in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we will publish these as early as possible for prospective students wishing to start their programme in September 2022.

This Pre-Masters programme is aimed at students who are considering undertaking an MA/MFA in Art or Curating but need a year to develop their practice as well as their written skills.

The Graduate Diploma in Art is an exciting, creative and supportive programme aimed at postgraduate students who need a year to develop or consolidate their artistic practice and/or language skills in academic English.

Over the course of the programme, you will work on developing your own art practice, familiarise yourself with critical studies in a contemporary art context, develop an understanding of UK academic culture, and gain an understanding of the standards required to pursue further Masters-level study.

This programme will help you develop a critical understanding of your own practice, and the artistic, academic, and political contexts in which that practice occurs.

Successful completion will guarantee you entry onto one of the following Goldsmiths postgraduate programmes:

Students who wish to go on to study elsewhere within Goldsmiths or the UK will be given the appropriate one-to-one tutorial support in their application. The Graduate Diploma in Art welcomes applications from UK, EU and international students.

Develop your art practice along with your writing with an English language option

The programme has an English language option for students who do not have the academic English language requirements to enter directly onto a Goldsmiths MA/MFA programme.

For international students or those students who may have less familiarity of UK academic, there is an opportunity to develop your English language skills. You will develop your skills in English for academic purposes, and your academic writing for art. You will also attend lectures and seminars in critical studies, and undertake self-directed practice-based study, which will help integrate you into the studio-based postgraduate community in the Department of Art.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Elle Reynolds or Dr Joseph Noonan-Ganley.

What you'll study

Overview

You will take the following compulsory modules:

  • Practice-based Study (45 credits)
  • Critical Studies (45 credits)
  • Academic Writing (15 credits)
  • Language Training: Academic Listening & Speaking (15 credits) or Artists’ Research Methods (15 credits) for students who have already achieved level 7.0 overall in IELTS or equivalent qualification

You will have a personal tutor and will receive support in researching and considering the MA degree options for your future studies.

You are encouraged throughout the programme to work independently and in particular to use the resources available in the Goldsmiths Library.

Assessment

Continuous assessment includes regular seminar presentations and researched essays. There will also be written, listening and oral examinations.

Download the programme specification, for the 2019-20 intake. If you would like an earlier version of the programme specification, please contact the Quality Office.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

For 2021-22 and 2020–21, we have made some changes to how the teaching and assessment of certain programmes are delivered. To check what changes affect this programme, please visit the programme changes page.

Entry requirements

You should normally be expected to meet any particular entry requirements of the degree you intend to progress onto.

International qualifications

We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.0 with a 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for degree-level study.

Selection process

Admission to this programme is by submissions of electronic portfolio and interview. Occasionally, we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

Fees & funding

Annual tuition fees

These are the fees for students starting their programme in the 2022/2023 academic year.

  • Home - full-time: £9260
  • International - full-time: £24850

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page.

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments. Please check the programme specification for more information.

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system. 

Before submitting your application you’ll need to have:

  • Details of your education history, including the dates of all exams/assessments
  • The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
  • A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online. (See our guidance on writing a postgraduate statement).
  • A digital portfolio
  • If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

When to apply

We accept applications from October for students wanting to start the following September. We encourage applications for our 24 January and 25 April review points, but late applications are also welcome up to September.

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place that is conditional on you achieving a particular qualification. 

Late applications will only be considered if there are spaces available.

Related content links